When you grow up on the lousy side of town, you see things you wish you hadn't, you do things you regret, and you have to put up with things that you wouldn't have to elsewhere. When you're a girl growing up on the lousy side of town, things are a heck of a lot worse.
I heard them coming long before I saw them. Their drunker laughter all too familiar. I dropped my dog's leash, and kept walking, letting the four year old mutt trot at my side, knowing he'd be a help if these guys tried anything.
"Hey Greaser!" one called as he jogged up next to me, grabbing my arm with enough force to not only stop me, but knock me down. I growled, but said nothing.
"Hey look! It's their plaything!" one taunted. I hated when comments like that popped up. The last thing I was was a plaything.
I kicked with all my strength, and nearly got out from under the small, but strong Soc, when another punched me square in the face. I blinked stupidly.
"I wonder if she's as easy as she looks," the biggest one laughed. This got the group rolling. I vaguely heard my dog, Killer, barking fiercely, then let out a yelp when someone kicked him hard. He kept barking as he backed away, now heading in the direction of the Curtis' house. I realized momentarily, that we were just two blocks shy.
The rest was a haze that I'd rather not remember. The pain was more than unbearable, and the embarrassment was even worse. I heard pounding footsteps approaching, and the sound of the Socs getting to their feet.
Someone grabbed hold of me and shook me with such force, I was sure I'd be sick all over their shoes. I couldn't tell who, and quite frankly, it didn't really matter.
"Kay? Kaylly?!" a voice came. I forced my eyes open, blinking back tears from the pain sheering through my body, and saw that it was Sodapop, the middle Curtis brother, and one of my best friends. "Kay, what did they do?"
I stared stupidly at him for a long time, unable to find the strength to talk. I felt a cold nose press against my naked thigh and flinched.
"Move!" another voice came, and I closed my eyes, still too stunned to really take in what was going on around me. I vaguely remember hearing what sounded like someone get shoved, then felt warm hands brushing my hair off my face. "Kay? C'mon Kay, say somethin'" an all too familiar voice rang higher than the rest. It was Dallas Winston, the closest thing I had to a brother. He shook me too quickly, and it took all I had to turn away fast enough not to be sick all over his jacket. "easy, easy," he murmured in a tone all too soft for the cold, angry Dallas.
"I'm fine," I gasped, shivering slightly. I didn't remember it being that cold, until that moment. "They jumped me, that's all," I added.
It took another ten minutes or so for me to come fully together, but when I sat up, I saw seven pairs of concerned eyes watching my every move. Dally had let go of me, but stayed so close, I was sure he'd snap at the slightest insult, so I stayed quiet. Soda was pressing a dampened handkerchief to my bleeding forehead, and Ponyboy was lighting a smoke.
"Pass that this way, wouldya Pony?" I asked, my voice strained. He did so without a second though. I took a long drag and looked around at the motley crew of a family staring back at me. Killer whined and pushed his furry head under my arm, his warm fur taking away some of the chill that had filled my bones. I leaned against him, too tired to try and support myself.
"What happened?" Darry finally asked. I'd been waiting for that question.
"I was walking home from the DX, thought nothin' of it either," I said with a sigh. "Had to get the dog somethin' to eat before figurin' out where I was crashin' tonight. Ended up taking the long way home, 'cause I needed to stop by the drugstore and whatever. They came up and jumped me, nothin' new," I finished, leaving out most of the story.
"They jus' jumped you? Jus like that?" Steve asked. "What were ya thinkin' walkin' home alone anyhow?"
"I didn't think nothin' of it, I practically live on the streets, Steve, ain't nothin' new. Didn't 'spect to get jumped tho," I sighed, too tired to explain it. I knew fully why I was jumped. When a story starts up, people talk, and that talkin' gets people mad.
"So they only jumped you?" Soda asked, his eyes watching my expression. We had one of those friendships, where we could read eachother quite fine most times. So I knew he knew I wasn't tellin' him the whole truth, even when I nodded and said "Yea, that's all,"
"You got to start thinkin'" Darry muttered. Ponyboy gave him a dirty look, then handed me the cigarette again. I took a drag and passed it back, before looking at Darry.
"I use my head, Darry. I just ain't 'bout to call one of you every time I need to walk to the store. Ain't my fault my truck took a shit and won't run," I grumbled, then glanced at Steve. "Any news 'bout that yet?"
"Figurin' it finally died. Don't know if it'll get up and runnin' again," he said truthfully. I'd spent the last of that week's paycheck to get it towed in, in hopes that Steve and Soda could get it running again.
"Damn, looks like Imma be walkin' a while, huh?" I forced a laugh. Using Killer and Dally for support, I stood up and adjusted my thin jacket, shivering from the cool breeze that had come in. I grabbed hold of the dog's leash, not willing to trust him enough not to dart off the first chance he got. Though he was trained to be a good dog, he didn't take kindly to strangers, and would chase 'em around the block first chance he got.
The walk home was quiet. Soda must of seen that I was having a hard time walkin' right, because he offered me his arm, which I leaned against gratefully. Sometimes, I swear, having an almost silent friendship came in handy, 'specially when you didn't really want to talk about what happened. Killer let out a low growl as we walked through the lot, his ears flat against his skull.
"Easy Kills. Ain't nothin' there you old bat," I laughed, giving the leash a light tug. He growled again, and pulled away from me. I dropped the leash and looked around. The lot was completely empty.
"That dog of yours sure does have a problem," Two-Bit laughed. "Must be a bitch around somewhere."
"Naw, he's just hyped up. C'mon Killer, get over here," I called. The dog didn't listen. He stood under the streetlamp, growling angrily. He almost reminded me of Dally when he got like that. "Damnit dog, c'mere!" I called, annoyed.
Killer growled once more, then trotted over to my side, his eyes wary. I grabbed his leash, and pulled him with us, as we continued to the house. No one said anything after that, everyone lost in his own thoughts.
At the house, Two-Bit and Steve said their goodnights, while Dally dragged me into the kitchen, to get a good look at the cut on my forehead.
"It ain't nothin' Dally," I complained as he pressed a makeshift icepack to the cut. I winced and pulled away, but that didn't stop him.
After he was done making my head hurt even worse, he and Johnny left, leaving me with the Curtis'. And let's just say if I had the guts to leave, Dally would smash my skull in himself. Sometimes being that kid's 'sister' was the worst choice I ever made.
Soda watched me as Pony and Darry started making dinner. I think they were trying to give me some time with Soda, maybe hopin' I'd open up and tell him what happened out there. I had no intentions of that though, and eventually made my way to their bathroom, with my old, ripped up backpack, which held pretty much everything I owned.
I took our a fresh change of clothes and my brush, and took a hot shower, letting the water ease the tension out of my bones. After I changed into my last pair of clean jeans and a black long sleeves shirt, I pulled my long hair into a messy bun, not really caring. These guys were family, I had no need to impress them, even if I could. Not like I could tho. Can't impress no one when you ain't got much to your name.
I cracked open a can of food for Killer, and tied him to the leg of the table, shaking my head as I did. "You're a hell of a dog," I muttered to him, as he eagerly ate the food in a few bites. He wagged his tail, then nudged my leg, again causing me to wince.
At dinner, all three of the guys watched me as if they were waiting for me to answer an unspoken question. I had not intentions to tho. No matter what, I was keepin' what happened to myself.
A/N;; This is another Outsiders fanfic, only this time, it's newer. Not 4 years old like my last one was. Any feedback, both negative and positive is appreciated! In case anyone's wondering, Kaylly's name is pronounced "Kay-Lee". Trust me, this story has a purpose. ;)